Announcing the UX Careers Book Project (Come join me!)

I am excited to announce the kickoff of one of my most intriguing adventures yet: writing a book on UX careers for Focal Press!

While there are plenty of career books and plenty of UX methods books on the market, there is no one comprehensive UX careers book currently available. To help remedy that situation, I’ll be writing a book on UX careers over the course of the next year. It is time to understand the diversity of UX career perspectives and to flesh out a holistic career framework.

This won’t be an effort made in solitude nor will it simply be what I think that UX careers should be. While I certainly have a number of ideas and a framework, this will be a community effort so come join me in this adventure.

In addition, this won’t be only a book. While the book will be the center-point of the effort, the project will also involve:

Creation of a companion website with additional information

Social media content via Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook

Talks and workshops on the UX careers topics identified in the book

What will the book contain?

Concrete tips and techniques for improving UX careers

A comprehensive review of the different types of UX careers as well as how those careers overlap

The UX career lifecycle from beginning the journey, to searching for a job, to deciding where to work

Understanding how the future of a career is more than just technical UX skills

Advice on how to stay on top of new information

Personal stories from those in the field

Pathways to real world resources, such as professional organizations and educational institutions, that can help people with relevant career enhancement

Worksheets and activities to help professionals think though topics in the book and make decisions about their own careers

What will the companion website contain?

More information and specifics about resources mentioned in the book

Worksheets and additional materials added over time

Interviews and additional personal stories

New articles and perspectives as well as links to other resources

Updated resource lists to keep resources and recommendations current

Who is this book for?

Undergraduate and graduate students and university career centers

Current UX professionals, from those early in their careers to those who have been in the field for a long time

Those in other related or even unrelated professions who want to make a shift to UX

Employers who need to understand who they should be hiring and what skills those people will have

Recruiters and recruitment organizations that are recruiting for UX positions.

What does it mean to be a community effort?

I’ve personally been in the UX field for two decades, and I have had so many opportunities to help others with their UX career growth: through my work with UXPA, through workshops, and through both formal and informal mentoring opportunities. But this book is not simply going to be my lens or based solely on my knowledge and experiences. Rather it will include information gathered from interviews and personal narratives from others in a wide range of UX professions, as well as information gathered from employers and recruiters, in order to validate or perhaps update my own conceptions or those that may be held by others in the field.

What kinds of partners am I looking for?

Digital UX publications who have published articles on UX careers

Employers and recruitment organizations that are involved in UX hiring and would be willing to contribute information and hiring data about the specific types of UX careers

UX professionals who are willing to be interviewed, who can share personal stories about their own career growth, and who can contribute resources from their own experiences

UX Organizations whose goal is to help professionals grow in their careers